


Hot Showers and Forgiveness (With a Side Order of Murder)

by buckysawsteve



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2014-10-17
Packaged: 2018-02-21 14:03:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2470841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckysawsteve/pseuds/buckysawsteve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's six in the morning and the last person he expected to see was standing on the other side of the door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hot Showers and Forgiveness (With a Side Order of Murder)

**Author's Note:**

> In my mind, this is what happened after Oliver opened the door. Also loosely edited by myself so I apologize in advance for the mistakes.

Oliver had no idea what to do. How could he when he couldn't even begin to fathom what had happened to reduce Connor to this. Connor who was always so suave, confident to the point of being cocky. Connor who was always turned up to eleven and now...now seeing him like this, crumbling with each passing second, he was at a loss. He kicked Connor out weeks ago, stood by that decision and yet everything inside of him was folding in on itself because seeing Connor like this was devastating. So he did the only thing he could do, the only thing he wanted to do right now. 

            Lowering, he placed his hand on Connor's shoulder, squeezed it. "Did you want to come inside?" Stupid question he knew but he couldn't leave Connor out here, couldn't stay out here with him either. It was early, early enough that the neighbours would complain. "C'mon Connor, let’s go inside okay?" 

            Connor nodded, hand reaching up to cover the one on his shoulder as he pushed unsteadily to his feet, swaying a little. At least Oliver was there to help him because he was pretty sure he would have fallen back to the floor. He screwed up, screwed up so bad. He was going to go to jail, possibly for life and - 

            Taking a deep shuddering breath, he followed Oliver into the apartment. He tried to clear his mind, wipe it of everything that happened. When that didn’t work, thoughts still firing off in a dozen different directions, he began to shake, suddenly aware of just how cold he was.

            "Oliver...." he started, trailed off. He was damp all the way down to his bones.  He shouldn’t be here, it wasn’t a good idea to be here. Oliver was a good guy, a really good fucking guy and he didn’t need this, didn’t deserve this. But he had nowhere else to go and being alone wasn’t an option right now. He shivered, arms lifting from where they were lying listlessly at his side to fold across his chest, a desperate attempt to keep some of the warmth in.

            “Jesus Connor, you’re freezing.”

            “I….s’fine.”

            Oliver shook his head as he stepped closer, hands landing everywhere seemingly at once. His shoulders, down his arms, back up to his face and then they were moving. Connor was only vaguely aware of Oliver leading him back through the apartment towards the bathroom.

            “Sit,” Oliver instructed without bothering to wait for him to respond before guiding him towards the toilet, pushing him down gently. “What happened, Connor?”

            “Don’t wanna…t-alk about it.”

            Oliver nodded, not bothering to push the subject as he began to peel Connor’s coat from him, let it fall to the floor as he began working the rest of Connor’s clothing off. Shirt, shoes, pants, all of it discarded and piled on the floor. Finished with that task, he moved away from Connor briefly, turned the water to the shower on as hot as it would go and waited for it to heat up.

            “Do you want to be alone?” Oliver asked, gaze flicking back and forth between Oliver and the steam that had begun to fill the room. He didn’t want to leave, worried about what would happen if he did. There was something about the look in Connor’s eye that had him hesitating. “Connor?”

            Connor shook his head. Being alone was the last thing he wanted. “Stay, please.”

            “You want to get in the shower now?”

            He did, oh God did he ever. He wanted to wash this entire night off of him, wanted to watch as it swirled and disappeared down the drain. Wanted it to take away the memories that would forever be there, the nightmares that would inevitably come. On his feet, he pitched forward a little, arm coming out to grip at the vanity sink as the world spun and his vision came and went. He was so tired, so weak. Who would have thought destroying a body would take so much out of him?

            Unbidden, a laugh bubbled out of him and even to his own ears he could hear how hysterical it sounded. He choked it off, knees nearly falling out from underneath him in the process. Again, Oliver caught him and helped him into the shower, climbing in behind him fully clothed. Connor wanted to comment on it, normally he would have but no words came. Under the spray, he lowered himself down to the floor, eyes closed as his head fell back against Oliver’s chest. Solid, warm and there when Connor didn’t deserve him to be. After Pax…after using him like that…..

            He pushed it away. Pushed everything away and focused on the hot water that pounded against his skin, warming him.

            They stayed like that for a long time, until Connor’s shivers subsided and then disappeared completely. It wasn’t until the water went from hot to lukewarm, that Oliver spoke again.

            “You ready to talk now?”

            Connor shook his head. He didn’t think he would ever be. “I’m sorry, Oliver.”

            “For what?”

            He shrugged. “For everything. I….” he trailed off, sighing as exhaustion swept over him. “I just wanted you to know.”

            Oliver didn’t say anything, just wrapped his arms around Connor’s front and held on tightly as the water finally went cold.

            “Let’s get you dry, okay? I’ll call into work and we’ll stay in bed all day. How does that sound?”

            Connor didn’t want him to do that, didn’t want Oliver going out of his way to look after him. But as they struggled out of the bath, Oliver already wrapping him up in a towel before moving away and peeling off his wet clothes, he couldn’t find it in him to tell Oliver he didn’t have to help.

            “You look ridiculous,” he muttered, voice horse.

            Oliver chuckled softy as he dropped a towel over Connor’s head. “For that you can dry your own hair.”

            He did it anyway, running the towel over Connor’s hair before dropping it to the floor. He will deal with the mess later. Leading Connor out of the bathroom, they made their way towards the bedroom. “You want some pajamas?”

            Connor shook his head. “Just a pair of boxers, you and sleep.”

            Oliver should say no. He should leave, right now and sleep on the couch. But he didn’t say any of that, actually he said nothing. Grabbing a pair of boxers from the top drawer of his dresser, he handed them to Connor before moving to turn down the bed. Every inch of him was vibrating, screaming at him because all of this was a bad idea. Opening the door, letting him in, and now sleeping with him? Yet even as he thought it, he knew there wasn’t anywhere else he’d rather be right now. He’d be lying if he said Connor hadn’t been on his mind, if he said he didn’t pull up Connor’s number at least half a dozen times but never called.

            Climbing under the covers, he watched as Connor joined him. He looked tired, haunted and despite everything, he pulled Connor close as they stretched out, fingers absently combing through his hair.

            “Thank you,” Connor whispered.

            “Are you going to be okay?”

            “Maybe.”

            Tightening his hold, Oliver focused on the sound of Connor’s breathing, relief flooding through him when it began to steady, slow until the sound of Connor’s soft snores surrounded him. Whatever was going on, whatever had Connor so….un-Connor-like, Oliver wasn’t going anywhere.

            Connor needed him and truth be told, Oliver had already forgiven him.


End file.
